Since then, it has been re-recorded by over 180 different artists, with one of the most well-known versions being the single by Harry Nilsson in 1971 which became an international bestseller.
At the time, Nilsson was best known for his song “Everybody’s Talkin” and when he hear Badfingers version of the song at a party, he thought it was a Beatles track. Once he realised it wasn’t, he decided to cover the song for his 1971 album Nilsson Schmilsson.
Doing so meant it was then at number one in the US for four weeks in Feb/March 1972 and five weeks at number one on the British pop chart, from March through to April 1972.
It was also number one in countries such as Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. In 1973, Nilsson won the”Best Male Pop Vocal” Grammy award for the song. The song itself was generated through the real-life events of the two Badfingers band members- Pete Ham had initially written a song called “If It’s Love” but it was lacking a strong chorus.
One evening, Ham and his girlfriend were heading out for dinner when Evans stopped him and said he had an idea for a song.
Ham was tempted not to stay, his girlfriend encouraged him to and, through his worry that she was still unhappy about it, the immortal line “Well I can't forget tomorrow, when I think of all my sorrow, I had you there but then I let you go, and now it's only fair that I should let you know..if it's love “. Evans then met the woman who would become his future wife, the relationship was fiery, and on one occasion when she left him he flew to Bonn to find her and penned the song “I Can’t Live “with the lyrics being “I can’t live if living is without you, I can’t live, I can’t give any more.” The two songs were merged resulting in “Without You” – a sentimental verse with an intense and heart-breaking chorus.
In parallel to the song lyrics, both Ham and Evans later took their own lives.
'Without you' lyrics
No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows No, I can't forget tomorrow
When I think of all my sorrows
When I had you there but then I let you go
And now it's only fair that I should let you know
What you should know I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give any more
Can't live if living is without you
I can't give, I can't give any more
No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
Can't live if living is without you I can't live,
I can't give anymore I can't live if living is without you
Can't live, I can't give anymore (Living is without you)
